Washington County salary commission questions commissioners on workload and pay as budget pressures grow

The Washington County Salary Commission spent its May 22 meeting interviewing elected county commissioners about their duties, time commitments and whether current compensation reflects the work required amid recent budget cuts and increased oversight demands.

The commission convened four salary commissioners and heard from County Commissioners Nafeez Safai (District 1), Jason Snyder (District 3) and Commissioner Fye (District 4). The interviews focused on how commissioners balance multiple roles — including county governance, oversight of Clean Water Services and the housing authority — and on recent fiscal pressures that have increased workload.

The discussion underscored the range of responsibilities that come with the elected office. "We don't have just one role. We have four roles," said Jason Snyder, describing duties that include county governance, serving on the boards of the Housing Authority and Clean Water Services, and addressing issues in large urban unincorporated areas that function like a city council for more than 200,000 residents living outside municipal boundaries.

Commissioner Fye, who represents District 4, cited regional responsibilities tied to timber and forest trust lands and said the county is expecting a substantial loss of timber-related revenue. "We're expecting about a 30% decrease in revenues," Fye said, adding that Washington County also directs a large share of its revenue to local school and special districts.

Commissioners described how those revenue pressures and other developments have affected the workload. "We just passed our budget yesterday. It was a hard budget because after 5 years, we finally had to lay off people," one commissioner said, noting recent cuts and the need to prioritize essential services, including public safety.

Commissioners also detailed their public outreach and board commitments. Safai said he conducts monthly town halls and quarterly civic engagement trainings and described efforts to make county services more accessible. "I ran for this job when it was a part time. So I didn't run this job for the money," Safai said when asked whether compensation matched responsibilities.

All three commissioners said their workloads have grown as the county takes on or increases oversight of external agencies. Several noted that the recent media scrutiny and leadership changes at Clean Water Services have required more direct involvement by county commissioners. "We need to be more involved, and we need to continue to be that active commission with the board members for Clean Water Services," Safai said.

The commission also received factual details from commissioners about other county projects and partnerships: the Salmonberry Trail rail-to-trail project runs 82 miles in total with 27 miles in Washington County, and the county has pursued federal and state grants to help small cities with infrastructure needs.

Votes at a glance: The Salary Commission unanimously approved the minutes from its May 20 meeting. The motion passed in roll call vote after a motion and second were made on the floor.

The Salary Commission said it will continue interviews and review submitted written responses from additional commissioners before making a recommendation on compensation. There were no public comments during the Zoom public-comment period and the meeting was adjourned after the planned agenda items were completed.